That “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”
- Are we looking forward to tomorrow?
- Do we have big plans?
- What if those plans came today, a day early, the day before tomorrow?
- Would we be just as excited if today became the day, rather than tomorrow, the future?
HOPE is a beautiful theological truth. In HOPE we who have placed our faith in Jesus look to the future, to His promise, and our eternity, knowing that today, we are just not home.
So, we look to our future home—our HOPE—found only through our Savior Jesus Christ.
In fact, to bring comfort to His followers, it was Jesus Himself who spoke this eternal promise.
“Do not let your heart be troubled;
(The Gospel According to John 14: 1-4 NAS)
believe in God,
believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places;
if it were not so, I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place
for you.
If I go and prepare a place
for you,
I will come again
and receive you to Myself,
that where I am,
there you may be also.
And you know the way where I am going.”
Yesterday began as any other day, with plans on my to-do list. There were tasks to accomplish, people to speak with, e-mails to read and answer, and ‘things’ that need my attention. However, what if we allow our day, our plans, our tasks, our to-do ‘things’ to be altered by the Creator of the universe? Jehovah God sees from His place on high and sees us, His creation.
The Bible records this so.
“The LORD looks from heaven;
(The Psalms 33: 13-14 NAS)
He sees all the sons of men;
From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,”
Nevertheless, we live in a world where pessimism & blindness exists. People place their ‘hope’ in so many earthly entities: their careers, bank accounts, family status, possessions, holiday getaway destinations, retirement plans, and on-and-on. The ‘hope’ of the unbelieving is placed on what he can see in this present place, but the HOPE of the believer is not placed in this present world but on the next.
The ‘hope’ of the unsaved is secure in what he can physically see, but the HOPE of the saved is found in the unseen, in the faith he has in his Savior Jesus Christ.
So, we who believe—PRAY—continuing daily, interceding for those we know.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 1: 18-23 NAS)
so that you will know what is the hope of His calling,
[so that you will also know]
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
[saints—the redeemed ones of Jesus Christ]
and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
[Truly, there is only one way to heaven!]
These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
which He brought about in Christ,
when He raised Him from the dead
and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And He put all things in subjection under His feet,
and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
which is His body,
the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
It is through God’s Word that we are able to be comforted by the TRUTH.
We see the TRUTH of what the Son has done to reconcile us, and we realize how it has been God’s plan from the very beginning, as He provided His revelation of Himself to humanity.
- God the Father.
- God the Son.
- God the Holy Spirit.
Three in One.
The Holy Trinity.
All three persons of God present from the beginning & involved in the creation of the earth.
- God the Father planned creation & our redemption.
- The Son of God paid for it—for our redemption. &
- God’s Holy Spirit protects our redemption, filling the saints of God, & moving within us (who believe).
This is the TRUTH of our HOPE!
We, who believe, pray that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.”